The railway station (now a Sports Museum and the start of several Tourist Railway Routes) and the gardens in front were a good place to park.
Right near the Cadbury's Chocolate Factory too. Yum.
Eric studies their planting scheme. 
Eric watches the mother Mallard sitting on her chicks and wonders how this doesn't suffocate them.
View back to the tropical greenhouse and lower gardens.
It's Rhododendrum and Azelea week in the gardens.
Looking down at Bluff township, the harbour and Invercargill in the misty distance.
Good job I can flatten myself down, otherwise I'd be blown away.
This sculpture of a chain housed the toilets at the end of SH1.
The lighthouse from Bluff point. The sea was pretty stormy.
Ther were also some White-fronted Terns tucking their heads in against the wind.
Next it's to the Botanic Gardens, which were very colourful as it is Spring over here.
As we started late we decide not to take the scenic route today, it would make it too long a day, so we travel the shorter, faster rather uninspiring route to Invercargill. We did manage one interesting siting on the way though.
The famous six arch bridge at Balclutha.
(not sure how far it's fame extends as we'd never heard of it before - perhaps it's a very specialist architecture thing). It was built in the 1930s and is called a 'Bowstring' bridge.
The rain held off until just after we arrived.
Invercargill is a city with wide streets, and of course is the home of Burt Munroe, the hero of The World's Fastest Indian. In the film he is played by Anthony Hopkins. We visit the hardware store that houses the actual motorcycle, plus some others. The bikes are just in the store along with all the usual DIY tools etc, and a collection of old lawn mowers!
Eric pretends he's Bert Munro breaking the speed record for this class of motorcycle at Utah Salt Flats.
While we were in the hardware store the rain started. It is also incredibly windy so we reckon it will blow over soon. Shop for some grocery goodies and then decamp to the motel where we are staying for an early dinner and a cup of tea. The breakfast had kept us going all day (well apart from the Cadbury's Buttons purchased earlier at the factory shop).
Clouds have cleared and it's out to Bluff Lookout to see if we can see Stewart Island. We had hoped to have a day trip out to here, but the ferry timetable was too limiting at the moment. Could have flown, but didn't fancy that in this wind! All the birds would probably have been hiding from the blustery gale force that was blowing anyway.
Surprisingly there were no other tourists at the lookout and clouds were obscuring Stewart Island.
- a good blow though. The mixture of sun and dark clouds produced some interesting effects, like this one of a rainbow over the aluminium smelter.
Also found another signpost at the end of the SH1 Highway, the road that runs from North to South through the whole of New Zealand (obviously with a gap for the Cook Straights in the middle!).
Return to studio room just before the rain starts again. There's some rugby on the TV (New Zealand against Australia) and two comfy chairs so settle in for the evening.